Secrecy, Surveillance, and National Security: A Conversation on Government Accountability

January 30, 20187:00 pm
– 9:00 pm

Secrecy, Surveillance, and National Security: A Conversation on Government Accountability

Tuesday, January 30th

7:00-9:00PM

Amherst Jones Library

43 Amity Street, Amherst MA 01002

RSVP: leif.maynard@gmail.com

Speaker: Professor Sudha Setty

The thin line between effective national security and the preservation of civil liberties and democratic rule of law in the U.S. is an ongoing debate that underpins American societal values and ignites the discussion on the place for secrecy in a government accountable to the people. In 2018, as the Trump administration doubles down on its national security strategy, how do we ensure the rights of all Americans are protected? What models do other nations offer that strike the balance between security and privacy? To understand the Trump administration's approach to secrecy in matters of national security, join us as constitutional law expert Sudha Setty unpacks this complex issue and discusses her new book, National Security Secrecy: Comparative Effects on Democracy and the Rule of Law.

Sudha Setty is the Associate Dean for Faculty Development & Intellectual Life and a Professor of Law at Western New England University School of Law, in Springfield, MA, where she has twice won teaching awards. She teaches Law and Terrorism, Comparative Constitutional Law, Constitutional Law, Civil Rights, Business Organizations and Contracts. Her scholarly work focuses on comparative analysis of separation of powers, rule of law and national security issues and she currently serves on the editorial board of the Journal of National Security Law and Policy. She has served as defense counsel in civil, regulatory and criminal matters involving national security issues, including terrorism financing investigations and lawsuits, and a pro bono matter challenging sentencing guidelines for those convicted of terrorist acts. Professor Setty graduated as a Harlan Fiske Stone Scholar from Columbia Law School and received her A.B. in History (concentration in comparative civil rights) with honors from Stanford University.

Co-sponsors: Critical Connections and Karuna Center for Peacebuilding. This event is made possible through the generous funding of Mass Humanities, whose grants inspire considered thought, conversations, and action.

16February 16, 2018

17February 17, 2018

18February 18, 2018

Syrian Refugees - Women and Children in Lebanon

February 18, 20182:00 pm

As part of our continuing effort to educate ourselves and bring relief to Syrian women and children, we have invited Pat Hynes, Traprock Center for Peace and Justice, to speak on Sunday, February 18 at 2pm at Second Church in Greenfield.

In October 2017, Pat and two others traveled to Lebanon to conduct interviews with women in Syrian refugee camps in the Bekaa Valley near the Syrian border. They also visited a Lebanese-run school for Syrian children. Pat will give a presentation with slides about the plight of women refugees in war as told by Syrian women and the admirable work of local Lebanese and Syrian organizations providing aid.

"Throughout," she says, "I felt the truth of peace activist Randall Forsberg's observation: there is no crisis that is not worsened by war. War is not the answer."

Michael Kane of Valley Syrian Relief will also give a short summary of the bombing of civilians in the rebel held areas of northeast Syria.

A Conversation with Shaheen Pasha

Tuesday, February 27th

7:00-9:00 PM

Northampton Friends Meeting Room

Northampton, MA 01060

Speaker: Professor Shaheen Pasha

At a time of national reckoning and accountability around sexual harassment, what challenges and opportunities do women of minority communities experience in speaking out against men both inside and outside their identity groups? What does the #MeToo movement represent for women of color? What are the causes of misogyny in the broader American culture and what are the legal, political, and social shifts required to address the prevalence of sexual harassment in society? Join us in February to hear Professor Shaheen Pasha and others speak on this critical issue.

Shaheen Pasha is an educator and journalist who joined the faculty at UMass in January 2013. She previously worked as the Middle East Regional Editor for The Brief, a legal magazine published by Thomson Reuters. Prior to launching the magazine, Pasha was the Islamic finance correspondent at Thomson Reuters, based in Dubai. She has worked at CNNMoney.com as a banking and legal reporter, covering the Supreme Court and the Enron trial. Pasha was also a reporter at Dow Jones Newswires, where she had a daily column in the Wall Street Journal and appeared as a regular correspondent on CNBC Asia, covering the ADR market. She taught print and online journalism for undergraduate and graduate students at The American Uni versity in Cairo and media writing at Pace University in New York. Pasha is the co-editor of Mirror on the Veil: A Collection of Personal Essays on Hijab and Veiling, published by Critical, Cultural and Communications Press (2017) and is a contributor to The Dallas Morning News, New England Public Radio, USA Today, Daily Beast and Quartz, among other news outlets. Her areas of focus include international journalism, Islam and religion, business reporting, and mass incarceration issues. She has a master's degree in journalism from Columbia Graduate School of Journalism and a bachelor's degree in speech communication from Pace University.

Co-sponsors : Critical Connections and Karuna Center for Peacebuilding. This event is made possible through the generous funding of Mass Humanities, whose grants inspire considered thought, conversations, and action.

1March 1, 2018

2March 2, 2018

3March 3, 2018

Step Up! Bystander Training

March 3, 201810:15 am
– 12:15 pm

Step Up!

Bystander Training

Bypass your fear and be an engaged
bystander in your community!
with Strong Oak
Saturday, March 3, 2018

10:15 a.m. to 12:15 p.m. Doors open at 9:45

First Congregational Church 43 Silver Street, Greenfield MA

This interactive workshop has an intersectional, antiracist approach to
oppression. In it, we will:
- Explore what keeps us from addressing harm
- Use scenarios to highlight how to intervene in a safe way
- Try out interventions and receive feedback about what is effective and
what is not.